Elly vs. the Monster Head
Elly doesn’t say a word (or even think a word) in today’s new-run of For Better or For Worse. In fact, this strip was made for reaction faces from Elly. It’s too bad she doesn’t give any. She’s giving Michael looks as if he were a stray dog following her around or as if she is wondering where she needs to be. This is one of the oddest things about the new-runs vs. the reprints from the first year. The first year strips used to be filled with Elly's facial reactions to the things going on around her. Just going back to the “I want my mom” strip from Monday, Elly’s facial reactions are what make that strip work. With the modern stuff, all we get is blank looks.
Instead of Elly, we have the verbal enthusiasm of young Michael Patterson over his monster head. The punch line is that he managed to think of something so awful that his creativity was censored by the fine folks at KidKraft. In other words, isn’t it so cute that boys like gross and disgusting things, and think they are cool? Don't think too hard about what Michael would have to create that would be too gross to be allowed. Could it be Satan?
As for the saga of Elly and her illness I don’t know what to think of it. Thanks to having to pick up Mike, Elly could be sick until 11:45, but then doesn’t manage to stay in bed even until then. Her style of nightgown completely changed, which made me think a day had passed. But then we see her looking reasonably healthy (except for the nose) when picking up Mike, so it has to be the same day, unless the teachers have more than one day off. It seems like Elly has managed to be infected by the "Pity me" disease, which only flares up with Elly wants pity.
Instead of Elly, we have the verbal enthusiasm of young Michael Patterson over his monster head. The punch line is that he managed to think of something so awful that his creativity was censored by the fine folks at KidKraft. In other words, isn’t it so cute that boys like gross and disgusting things, and think they are cool? Don't think too hard about what Michael would have to create that would be too gross to be allowed. Could it be Satan?
As for the saga of Elly and her illness I don’t know what to think of it. Thanks to having to pick up Mike, Elly could be sick until 11:45, but then doesn’t manage to stay in bed even until then. Her style of nightgown completely changed, which made me think a day had passed. But then we see her looking reasonably healthy (except for the nose) when picking up Mike, so it has to be the same day, unless the teachers have more than one day off. It seems like Elly has managed to be infected by the "Pity me" disease, which only flares up with Elly wants pity.
posted by howard at 10:24 PM
7 Comments:
Don't think too hard about what Michael would have to create that would be too gross to be allowed.
A sculpture of his mom's feet, maybe. Or of Cheapie Weenie casserole.
It seems like Elly has managed to be infected by the "Pity me" disease, which only flares up with Elly wants pity.
Great!! She has a psychosomatic illness because her family doesn't appreciate her brand of glurge.
Way to expose all those children to what you've got, Ms. 104 F/40 C.
Monday, Elly’s facial reactions are what make that strip work. With the modern stuff, all we get is blank looks.
I do see a gobsmack in the last panel.
Clio,
A sculpture of his mom's feet, maybe. Or of Cheapie Weenie casserole.
Yeesh! Now I am going to have nightmares!
DreadedCandiru2
Great!! She has a psychosomatic illness because her family doesn't appreciate her brand of glurge.
Now you put it that way, it seems like the only disease Elly could have.
aprilp_katje,
Way to expose all those children to what you've got, Ms. 104 F/40 C.
The best part of the whole 104 F/40 C is that Lynn Johnston obviously thought she could just crank up the temperature to get pity for Elly, and instead gets condemnation for her actions. Everytime she tries to make people think a certain way, it does the opposite. This is a unique talent.
I do see a gobsmack in the last panel.
We will have to disagree on this point. To me, Elly’s expression is exactly the same in Panel 3 as in Panel 4, except Lynn put the pupils of her eyes in the middle. To me, the mouth shape, the head shape, and the position of the eyebrows are identical between the 2 panels.
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